Chinese cruiser Zhiyuan

Zhiyuan (Chinese: 致遠; pinyin: Zhiyuan; Wade–Giles: Chih Yuen) was a protected cruiser built for the Imperial Chinese Navy. She was built by Armstrong Whitworth in Elswick, England. She was one of two Zhiyuan-class protected cruisers built, alongside her sister ship Jingyuen. Zhiyuan was armed with a smaller number of large sized naval guns, as opposed to later ships of this type (such as the British Pearl-class) which carried a larger number of smaller guns. This was because the medium-calibre quick-firing gun had yet to be introduced, thus a warship's firepower at the time was largely a function of individual shell weight rather than volume of fire. Both ships were assigned to the Beiyang Fleet, and she was captained by Deng Shichang throughout her life.

Zhiyuan around 1894
History
Imperial China
NameZhiyuan
OrderedOctober 1885
BuilderArmstrong Whitworth, Elswick, England
Laid down20 October 1885
Launched29 September 1886
Completed23 July 1887
FateSunk in combat, 17 September 1894
General characteristics
TypeZhiyuan-class protected cruiser
Displacement2,300 long tons (2,300 t)
Length268 ft (82 m)
Beam38 ft (12 m)
Draft15 ft (4.6 m)
Propulsion
  • Compound-expansion steam engine, two screws
  • 4 x boilers
Speed18 kn (33 km/h; 21 mph)
Capacity510 tons of coal
Complement204–260 officers and men
Armament
Armor
  • Deck armour: 4 in (10 cm) (flat), 3 in (7.6 cm) (slope)
  • Gun shields: 2 in (5.1 cm)

She was part of a flotilla which toured ports during the summer of 1889. Zhiyuan's sole action was at the Battle of the Yalu River on 17 September 1894 during the First Sino-Japanese War. During the battle, she came under heavy fire from the Japanese forces. Having been holed, Deng ordered for the ship to ram an opposing vessel. She was destroyed as she closed, either by a hit on one of her torpedo tubes, or from a Japanese torpedo. This attack, and the subsequent story of her captain and his dog have become embedded in popular culture in the People's Republic of China. A replica of the Zhiyuan was constructed in 2014 at the Port of Dandong, while the wreck was discovered in 2013 after a 16-year search.

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